China plans to build 27 major water conservation projects in 2015, with nearly half focusing on western regions.
"The amount of investment in major water conservation projects will be further increased this year, compared to the 488 billion yuan (79.74 billion U.S. dollars) investment last year," Jiao Yong, deputy head of China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) said at a press conference on Tuesday.
During a visit to the MWR last November, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged the government to accelerate 172 water conservation programs that have strong economic and social importance. These projects will be mainly located in China's western regions.
Currently 57 water projects are under construction.
"The water conservation projects will help expand China's domestic demand and support economic growth," Jiao said.
Plagued by uneven water resources, floods and droughts, China's water resources per capita are only around 25 percent of the global average.
